foF2 Long Term Prediction Maps

Long-term predictions of the foF2 critical frequency for the European region are made available up to 3 months in advance. The predictions represent median monthly conditions and are provided in hourly resolution, for the 24 hours of the current month and of the two following months. Predictions are provided in the form of maps as images (PNG) and text files (ASCII). The maps cover the European area between -10°W and 40°E in longitude and between 34°N and 80°N in latitude. The predicted values are estimated through the implementation of the upgraded Simplified Ionospheric Regional Model (SIRM, Zolesi et al., 1993; 1996). This combines the standard SIRM output in the middle latitudes (up to 60°N) with the CCIR output for the higher latitudes. The algorithm receives as input the predicted sunspot number R12 provided by SWPC NOAA.